74 ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE. 



to teach them the mysteries of a gun-trap. Dr. Rae says 

 that their tracks showed they had made a most careful 

 examination of the whole contrivance before proceeding 

 to work. They had then reasoned out, as I have said, 

 that that object 31 yards off, had been the cause of their 

 comrade's death, and that it would be rendered harmless if 

 the string that was fastened to it was cut. Or in the other 

 case, they could leave the string undisturbed if they 

 could approach the bait from below, knowing that the 

 barrier of the snow protected them from any injury in 

 the discharge of the gun. This certainly was a case of 

 profound and accurate reasoning, and more than justify- 

 ing the fox's reputation as a cunning animal. 



There are numberless stories illustrating the intelli- 

 gence of the dog and the elephant, as these animals 

 have been for many centuries the companions of man 

 and thus affording numerous facilities for observing 

 them. Tame elephants are indispensable in reducing to 

 submission the wild ones that are captured. They seem 

 to take great pleasure in acting as decoys, showing ex- 

 traordinary intelligence in securing a struggling wild 

 comrade and protecting the men from injury. Sir E. 

 Tennant, in his Natural History of Ceylon, tells of two 

 female elephants who were famous for their skill as 

 decoys. One was of very great age and had been in the 

 employ of the Dutch and English governments for up- 

 wards of a century ; the other, named " Siribeddi," was 

 about fifty years old and remarkable for her gentleness 

 and docility. The decoys entered the "corral" in which 

 the wild ones were confined, the "mahout" or keeper, 

 and the one carrying the rope, called the "nooser,'' mount- 

 ed on Siribeddi' s neck. She moved along leisurely, 

 stopping every now and then to pick up a tuft of grass, 

 and with an air of careless indifference approached the 

 captive animals, who were nervously watching her. 



The leader of the herd came out to receive her, and 



so 



